Zoe Walker
PRIMI PIATTI
Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic Italian dish. This dish is simple and easy to make while also using one of the most popular pasta in Italian culture, spaghetti. One origin story of how Spaghetti Carbonara got its name is because Carbonara roughly means “in the manner of coal miners” and the sprinkling of black pepper gives the illusion of coal dust against the creamy pasta. The dish originated in Rome which can be seen through the specific cheeses used in its preparation. This classic Italian dish is one of my favorites because it has become a trademark dish for me and my grandpa to make together. Seeing as we are both not very skilled in cooking, Spaghetti Carbonara with its five main ingredients of spaghetti, pancetta, eggs, hard cheese, and black pepper is an easy way for us to feel like experts in the kitchen. On Saturdays, we would cook together and serve it for my whole family. This dish had a great way of connecting me and my grandfather through the years and allowed us to bond over a shared experience of cooking.
Generously salt a pot of 6 quarts of water until it tastes like the ocean. Add in your pound of spaghetti to cook for 8 to 10 min until al dente. While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet and add in 8 pounds of pancetta until it is golden crispy. In a bowl mix 4 eggs, ½ cup of grated Pecorino, and ½ a cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add your spaghetti to your pan of pancetta and mix them together. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the egg and cheese mixture while stirring quickly to create your creamy sauce. Add in the final touch of cracked black pepper by sprinkling it on over the pasta. Enjoy!
- The piece I chose to imitate was Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.
- I chose this piece because I loved that she included personal or cultural information about each dish before she went into describing the recipes. She took on a personal approach to describing many of Italy’s celebrated dishes and made me feel connected to the author and her history with these dishes.
- I learned a lot about the culture and regions where these different dishes are made. In many of the varying dishes, Mayes mentioned what holidays or occasions they are eaten at or what regions they originated from. This allowed me to get a deeper understanding of the dish and learn more about it beyond its ingredients. I also learned about the typical dishes eaten during the different courses of the meals such as Antipasti, Primi Piatti, Secondi, Contorni, and Dolci. By including dishes from each of the different courses that are in the Italian culture, I learned about a wide variety of dishes and when they are best served. This also allowed me to learn about other amazing Italian dishes besides pasta such as Faraone with Fennel.
- I learned a lot more about my grandpa’s personal history with this dish and why this is a dish that he enjoys making. While this dish is something me and my grandpa make together, I learned from him that he used to make this dish with his mother as well. When he was growing up in New York this was a dish they would make together on special occasions and cook it for the rest of his family. It was one of the few times that they would get to sit down together as a family and enjoy a meal. As a result, he has very good memories tied to this meal and wanted to pass down the tradition to us. This was very fascinating to learn about because it made feel like I had a relationship and connection to my great-grandma who I never met.
- I believe there is definitely cultural DNA embedded in the piece I read and in my piece as well. In the reading of Under the Tuscan Sun, Mayes talks a lot about her personal history with many of the different dishes she mentions. Her personal culture and history is the backbone of this article and allows you to see that her cultural DNA is an important part of this piece. Examples of this show up many times such as when she talks about a quail dish. When describing this dish, she first mentions how her father was a hunter and would catch the quails himself which puts a personal spin on the meal. When I replicated my piece in the same manner, I added in my own personal cultural history with the Spaghetti Carbonara and got to learn more about past history with this dish that I didn’t know. By including this cultural DNA, it creates a more personal and relatable piece that allows people to draw on their own personal experiences as they read it.